"A kinked rail, apparently caused by a lowboy trailer bottoming out at a grade crossing (and then leaving the scene), caused Santa Fe's 1-901-14 train to derail 3 units and 21 cars at Ballico, California on June 14, 1984. The 1st unit in the consist, ATSF 2741, made it across the damaged rail but the trailing 3 units rolled over on their side. 3 units led by ATSF 2852, were brought up from Fresno to pull the fated 901 train through the derailment site after reopening on June 15th."

Engineer Bailey several times recounted his story of making it passed the kinked rail with only the lead unit. It was a family tradition of the Bailey's to get the lead unit over bad track. His father a few years earlier had weathered the storm near Holt, California after the track had washed out. Old Man Bailey managed to pilot the lead unit over the washout, however the second unit did not do as well.